EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth in a series of features on young professionals in the Ashland business community. Part V was on Beau Carpenter. Part IV was on Melanie Fitch. Part III was on Angela Ringler. Part II was on Jake Coffy. Part I was on Ashland Young Professionals.
ASHLAND – Kelly Cooke chose to stay in her hometown of Ashland, and now, as a realtor with Coldwell Banker Ward Real Estate, she spends her days helping other people make their homes here too.
“I like being able to find the right place for the right person,” Cooke said. “That’s a big thing in someone’s life– a big purchase and a big deal. It’s one of those scrap-booking moments. It’s fun to be a part of those big decisions for people and aiding them in that.”
After graduating from Ashland High School in 2006 and from Ashland University in 2010, Cooke spent a short time as a social worker at Richland County Children’s Services and then worked a few years as community outreach event coordinator for United Way of Ashland County.
She enjoyed the job at United Way, but she left to stay home with her daughter, Livi, who was born in 2014.
In 2015, Cooke began doing marketing work for Coldwell Banker Ward Real Estate. After about a year, she found herself selling real estate.
“I can’t say that when I was in college I saw myself as a real estate agent, but that kind of cultivated over the years and became and interest of mine, and it ended up falling in my lap over the years,” said Cooke, whose degree is in child and family studies.
The job has been a perfect fit for the 30-year-old.
“It’s been good for us financially, and it’s been good for me personally to find something I really enjoy doing and also to have some flexibility to be with Livi and Casey, and live life and give back to the community,” Cooke said.
Cooke’s husband, Casey, is also an Ashland native. His family runs Luray Lanes, and he and Kelly grew up in the same neighborhood. Casey spent about 12 years working for Bendon Publishing and now runs Village Point Market in Hayesville, along with Kim Ferguson.
“I was born and raised here and my husband was born and raised here, so we have a lot of friends here and our parents have friends, so we’re connected in a lot of ways,” Cooke said.
Balancing family life, career and community involvement, Cooke doesn’t find herself with a lot of extra time on her hands. When they do have a break in their busy schedules, the Cookes like to go on planned or spontaneous “adventure days.”
“Sometimes we just get in the car and go and other times we have it planned out that we want to go hiking or it’s a lake day, but we always try to get out and do something and make memories that way,” she said.
Early in their relationship, the Cookes considered moving elsewhere. It was their careers and their personal connections that kept them in Ashland and made them decide to raise their daughter here.
“We both just have roots here and feel like this is where we’re meant to be… We just feel like we’re here to make a difference in Ashland, and that’s where we’re going to focus our energy,” Cooke said. “I like being connected to people, but I think it’s important to grow our community too, to have involvement.
“The people that are leading these organizations and activities and whatnot eventually are going to retire, and it’s going to be left up to us.”
Cooke is a member of Substance Church, serves in the board of Ashland Main Street, is public relations chair of Ashland Board of Realtors and recently signed on as community engagement chair of the new Ashland Young Professionals group. AYP kicks off with its first event 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at Mitchell’s Orchard and Farm Market. The group can be found on Facebook as well as online at www.ashlandyoungprofessionals.com.
The young professionals group, Cooke believes, will fill a need for young adults in the community.
“I think it’s just really important to have connections with other professionals our age, our peers,” Cooke said. “I think a lot of people our age don’t really know how to get connected. I think there’s quite a few of us that have a lot to give, but maybe they just need that middle man to connect them to those different things.”
“The common thing you hear from people our age is that there’s just nothing around here or there’s nothing to do, but there really is a lot to do and a lot of ways you can get involved and serve. I don’t think there’s a lack of places to give back. I think people are just not educated to know.”
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